Metering dispenser for powders



S. REZNEK March 31, 1964 METERING DISPENSER FOR POWDERS AND THE LIKEFiled Nov. 17. 1960 IN VENTOR SOLOMON R E Z N EK AT TORNEY United StatesPatent 3,127,066 METERING DISPENSER FOR POWDERS AND THE LIKE SolomonReznek, Albany, N.Y., assignor to Sterling Drug Inc., New York, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,9i99 7 Claims.(Cl. 222-190) This invention relates to a metering dispenserparticularly but not limited to dispensing charges of granulated orpowdered material as it descends by gravity from a container. This typeof dispenser is in the nature of a valve and it is very simple tooperate including as it does a fixture containing a relatively rotatablecharging and metering valve member having a recess therein normallypointed in an upward direction, with free communication to the interiorof the container aforementioned, and said fixture having an opening atthe lower side thereof whereby when the valve metering member is rotated180", the granulated or powdered material merely drops and the valvemetering member at the same time cuts off any further discharge from thecontainer.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a deviceof this nature with a desiccant chamber which will normally be incommunication with material in the container for removing atmosphericmoisture trapped in the filling the main chamber, and keeping thecontents of the container dry. The desiccant material will be in contactwith the atmosphere only very mon1en tarily as when the valve meteringmember is turned downwardly to discharge its load. The valve normallyfaces upwardly to receive a charge from the main container, and in thisposition it is closed from the atmosphere.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 isa view in elevation showing one form of the invention, part being cutaway and in section;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof, looking in the direction ofarrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view, looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section particularly showing the valve meteringdevice;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing a modification;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a further modification;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a modification, parts being in section; and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views illustrating the action of the valvemetering member.

In carrying out the present invention, the same may be applied to a maincontainer 10 which is normally held in inverted condition on a stand notshown. Such containers are old and well known and per se form no part ofthe present invention except insofar as a combination with the novelfeatures of the present valve device is concerned.

The container 10 usually has a neck or the like 12 into which isinserted legs or other fastening means 14 of a fixture generallyindicated at 16. This fixture may be held in any way desired to the neckof the container 10 even though the latter is inverted.

The fixture 16 is generally hollow and is tapered so that it isessentially a section of a hollow cone. It is conveniently molded ofplastic material such as polyethylene to provide desirable low frictionproperties as well as good moisture vapor protection for the parts, andparticularly for the contents of container 10.

The fixture 16 has an opening 18 in the lower surface thereof and alsohas an opening 19 similar thereto in the upper surface thereof tocommunicate with the interior of container 10. The fixture 16 may beopen at its ends and receive therein the valve or metering dispenserelement best shown in FIG. 4 and generally indicated by the referencecharacter 20. This member is correspondingly tapered as clearly shownand it has a hollow chamber or recess therein 22 generally centrallythereof and adapted to be aligned selectively with the openings 18 or19. Any kind of handle means such as at 24 may be applied to the member20 and the handle extends from the end of fixture 16 as clearly shown inFIG. 1.

Closely associated with recess 22 in the metering valve member 20 thereis a smaller chamber 26 which holds a quantity of a desiccant, e.g.,silica gel. This material may be contained in a porous pouch or thelike, or it may be separated and kept out of chamber 22 by means of aporous or dividing Wall or partition 23. This partition may be providedwith small holes in order to allow the action of the desiccant to takeplace and provide the moisture removal effect on the contents ofcontainer 10 when the parts are in the FIG. 1 position with recess 22upwardly located as shown in FIG. 4. The chamber at 26 is convenientlyrefilled from the interior of recess 22, and the valve member 24]? maybe conveniently removably held in position in its fixture 16 by anydesired means such as a nut 36 mounted on a projecting screw thread 32.

In FIG. 5 there is shown a modified valve device generally indicated at34 and having a handle 36 together with a charging recess 38. In thiscase, however, the desiccant chamber is provided at 40 in a separatepiece 42 attached at the small end of the valve member 34 and held inposition by any desired means such as a nut 4 on a screw-threaded member46 which extends from an apertured block or part at 48, see FIG. 6. Thisblock is provided with the apertures at 59 to provide the desiccantaction to extend through the passage 52 and into the recess 38 asbefore. In this case the desiccant chamber is serviced by removing thenut and piece 42 and reapplying the same.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a further modification in which the desiccantchamber is indicated at 52 and the metering member is at 54 and may beotherwise similar to those already described. In this case the desiccantchamber 52 is open to the small end of the valve member 54 being closedby a thumbpiece or the like 56 having screw threads 5:; or some similarfastening means. In this case, the member 56 not only holds the valve inposition in the fixture but it also acts as the closure for thedesiccant chamber 52 which can be filled merely by removing thethumbpiece 56. In this case there may also be used an aperturedpartition 60 similar to that at 28 in FIG. 4 and if desired or founddesirable, a similar partition 62 may be utilized as in FIG. 5. Thedesiccant can, however, be placed in a porous pouch.

Referring now to FIG. 8 there is shown a modification in which the maincontainer is indicated at 64, the fixture at 66, and the valve member at63. In this case the valve member is provided with an enlarged portionat the small end thereof at 70 and the desiccant may be placed in apouch therein or a partition similar to those previously described mayalso be utilized. In this case, the handle 72 is applied afterassembling the parts. The portion 70 can be cemented on or separatelyfastened.

The fixture (FIG. 8) is provided with its upper opening at 74 and itslower opening as at 76 and the valve member 68 has the recess as at '78with a passageway 80 leading to the desiccant chamber. The action ofthese parts is clearly apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 9 and 10wherein the valve metering member receives its charge in its normalposition as in FIG. 9, and delivers the charge downwardly as in FIG. 10.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A metering dispenser for loose materials comprising a fixture adaptedto be associated with the discharge opening of a container for the loosematerials, said fixture comprising in general a hollow walled chamberhaving openings in opposite side walls thereof, a relatively rotatablevalve member located in the chamber in the fixture, said valve memberbeing provided with a recess therein which is selectively capable ofbeing aligned with either of said openings in the wall of said fixtureupon rotation of the valve member for receiving the loose material inone position thereof when the recess therein is in loading positionrelative to the container, and discharging the material through theopposite opening when rotated to coincide therewith, means on saidrotatable valve member for closing the container for the loose materialwhen in the discharging position thereof, and means forming a secondarychamber associated with said relatively rotatable valve member, saidchamber being adapted to contain a desiccant, said recess forming apassage for communication between the desiccant chamber and the interiorof the container when said valve member is in position with the recesstherein communicating with said container.

2. The metering dispenser of claim 1 wherein the means forming thedesiccant chamber is located directly within the relatively rotatablevalve member.

3. The metering dispenser of claim 1 including a separate element forthe valve member, said desiccant chamber being located in said separateelement, and including means for securing said separate element to saidvalve member.

4. The metering dispenser of claim 1 wherein the means forming thedesiccant chamber is located directly within the relatively rotatablevalve member wherein the desiccant chamber extends to an exteriorsurface of the valve member, and including separate means closing saiddesiccant chamber at said surface, whereby the desiccant chamber may beserviced exteriorly.

5. The metering dispenser of claim 1 wherein the means forming thedesiccant chamber is located directly within the relatively rotatablevalve member, said desiccant chamber being completely sealed off fromthe exterior surface of the valve member.

6. The metering dispenser of claim 1 including a separate element forthe valve member, said desiccant chamber being located in said separateelement, and including means for securing said separate element to saidvalve member and maintaining said valve member in position in thefixture.

7. The metering dispenser of claim 1 including a separate element forthe valve member, said desiccant chamber being located in said separateelement, and including means for securing said separate element to saidvalve member, and a passage located in said valve member and leadingfrom the desiccant chamber in said separate element to the recess in thevalve member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS822,638 Vester June 5, 1906 841,111 Bromley Jan. 15, 1907 2,492,830Bannister Dec. 27, 1949 2,662,664 Decker Dec. 15, 1953 2,693,805 Taplinet a1. Nov. 9, 1954 2,701,079 Buchler Feb. 1, 1955 3,020,941 Corley Feb.13, 1962

1. A METERING DISPENSER FOR LOOSE MATERIALS COMPRISING A FIXTURE ADAPTEDTO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF A CONTAINER FOR THE LOOSEMATERIALS, SAID FIXTURE COMPRISING IN GENERAL A HOLLOW WALLED CHAMBERHAVING OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS THEREOF, A RELATIVELY ROTATABLEVALVE MEMBER LOCATED IN THE CHAMBER IN THE FIXTURE, SAID VALVE MEMBERBEING PROVIDED WITH A RECESS THEREIN WHICH IS SELECTIVELY CAPABLE OFBEING ALIGNED WITH EITHER OF SAID OPENINGS IN THE WALL OF SAID FIXTUREUPON ROTATION OF THE VALVE MEMBER FOR RECEIVING THE LOOSE MATERIAL INONE POSITION THEREOF WHEN THE RECESS THEREIN IS IN LOADING POSITIONRELATIVE TO THE CONTAINER, AND DISCHARGING THE MATERIAL THROUGH THEOPPOSITE OPENING WHEN ROTATED TO COINCIDE THEREWITH, MEANS ON SAIDROTATABLE VALVE MEMBER FOR CLOSING THE CONTAINER FOR THE LOOSE MATERIALWHEN IN THE DISCHARGING POSITION THEREOF, AND MEANS FORMING A SECONDARYCHAMBER ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RELATIVELY ROTATABLE VALVE MEMBER, SAIDCHAMBER BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A DESICCANT, SAID RECESS FORMING APASSAGE FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DESICCANT CHAMBER AND THE INTERIOROF THE CONTAINER WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN POSITION WITH THE RECESSTHEREIN COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CONTAINER.